Conveyer



Apr. 3, 1923..

A.- J. REBSTOCK CONVEYER 2 Sheets-sheet: l

Find Ju1y 11, 1921 IIIIIIWILVUVII Apr. 3, 1 923;

A. J. REBSTOCK CONVEYER Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNllE STATES lAEZ PAYENT FFECE.

AUGUST J. REBSTOCK, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO ALVEY MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, TEISSOURL'A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURI.

CONVEYER.

Application filed July 1l, 1921. Serial N'o. 483,752.

To all who-m t 'may concern:

Be it known that I, AUeUsr J. R-nes'roon.

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of St. Louis and State of lvlissouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Conveyers, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to conveyers of the type wherein packages. are delivered by 1U means of a gravity conveyer .upon the lower end of an elevating-conveyer. or inclined elevator having pushing or propelling elements adapted to engage the rear ends of said vpackages and force the same upwards along the bed of said elevator to the discharge end thereof.

One of the principal objections to the above type of elevator is that the packages are often fed to the receiving end of the 2" elevator in such position as to be engaged on their under sides by arising iushing element, instead of being engaged at their rear ends as is required for the proper propulsion ,of the packages along the bed of the elevator. This engagement ofthe under sides of the packages by the. propellingl elements, if occuring too far back from' the front end of the packages to permit said elements to 0 pass from under said packages, causes Jthe packages to be dragged partway up the inclined bed of the elevator g' and said packages when drawn upwardly in thismanner often slide backwards and strike the package following, thus damaging both packages and the contents thereof and sometimes even causing one 0r the other or both to leave the elevator and fall tothe floor.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and efficient arrangement for protecting the packages against this action. is to enable the power driven chain, which carries the propelling elements, to be adjusted without changing the distance between the stop device and the plane of the rising propelling elements. Another object is to provide an adjustable mount for the endmost conveyer roller at the delivery end of the gravity conveyer, lwhereby a uniform space may be maintained between said roller andthe plane of the risingpropelling elements.

rlhe invention consists principallj7 in the f, improved stop device for holding the packages in position to be properly en- Another obj ect gaged by the propelling devices; it also consists in operatively connecting said stop device with the sprocket wheels of the elevator so as to be adjustable therewith; it also consists in the means for adjusting the endmost roller of the gravity conveyer` towards and away from said sprocket wheels;

and it also lconsists in the combinations and Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinall section plan view, respectively, .of the delivery end. the endmost, roller` of the gravity conveyer, being shown extended in dottedlines.

The conveying device shown in the accompanying drawingscomprises agravity conveyer A and an inclined power driven elevator B, whose receivingrendy is arranged adjacent to thefdelivery end of said gravity conveyer and is suitably connected therewith.

The gravity conveyer A comprises spaced side rails 5 of the angle section having a` bed of rollers 6 disposed crosswise thereof whose ends are rotatably supported in said side rails. The endmost roller 7 ,'Of the feedingconveyer A is located beyondV the ends of the side rails and has its ends our;v naled in brackets 8, which are riveted to thev upper surfaces of supporting plates 9 at `one end thereof. These plates extend beneath the outwardly projecting horizontal flanges. of the side rails 5 and are secured to the under sides thereof by means of-bolts l0, which project through elongated slots ll' in the platesand holes in the said flanges and are provided on the upper ends with nutsQ The slots extend longitudinally -of the'conveyer rails 5, whereby the supporting plates are adapted to be shifted longitudinally of' the gravity conveyerto adjust the endmostl roller 7 with respect to the receiving end of the elevator.

rllhe inclined elevator or power conveyer B comprises a bed or way in the form of a plate 12 having a horizontal receiving portion and an inclined portion adapted to eX- tend to an upper fioor or level (not shown). The way is suitably supported by a frame comprising standards 13. Running between upper and lower pairs of angles 14 and 157 which form part of the elevator-frame and extend longitudinally thereof on opposite sides of the bed, are the upper and lower stretches of a pair of endless conveyer chains 16. The pairs of angles 1a and 15 serve as guides for the upper and lower stretches of the endless chains 1G which run therebetween, the lowermost angles of each pair constituting supports for said chains. The sprocket chains 16 pass around idler sprocket wheels 17, which are fixed to the opposite ends of a transverse shaft 18 located beneath the way adjacent to the receif-Jing end thereof. The shaft 18 has its ends journaled in bearing blocks 19, which are slidably supported between vertically spaced horizontally disposed angles 2O secured to the vertical members of the frame.

The slide-blocks 19 may be adjusted longitudinally of the frame, to tighten or loosen the sprocket chains 16, by means of horizontally disposed screws 21, which are connected to said slide-blocks. The screws 21 work in nuts 22 located on opposite sides of a vertically disposed angle member of the elevator frame and are provided with hand wheels 23 to facilitate turning thereof. At the upper end of the elevator the chains 16 pass over power driven sprocket wheels (not shown).

The chains 16 carry package engaging devices in the form of spaced pusher bars 241.

which are disposed crosswise of the wav and having their ends connected to said chains. These pusher bars move with the chains. and pass above and belov.Y the way and upwardly around the receiving end thereof, the spacing of the hars depending` upon the size of the article to be conveyed.

The lower end of the way terminates short of the sprocket wheels 17 and is provided with an extension in the form of a. plate 25. This plate rests upon the horizontal portion of the way and is slidably connected therewith by means of strips 26. The strips 26 are secured to the longitudinal marginal portion of the slide plate 25 and project beneath the slide marginal portions of the way. whereby said extension is permitted to slide longitudinally of the bed and is held from upward movement with respect thereto.

Fixed to the sprocket shaft 18 are corrugated feed rolls 27. These rolls are disposed with their outer ends substantially flush with the side edges of the bed-extension 25 and are spaced apart on opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of the bed. The bed-extension 25 has a reduced centrally disposed portion 28 which extends between the spaced feed rolls 27, said portion 28 being supported by and secured to the sprocket shaft 18 by means of angles 29. These angles 29 have one flange riveted to the Linder side of the reduced portion 28 of the bed-extension and their other flanges are provided with alined holes through which the sprocket shaft extends. The eX- tension 25 is disposed with its upper surface below the upper surfaces of the feed rolls 27 and above the plane of the bed of the feeding conveyer A; and the outer marginal portion, the reduced end portion 28 of said extension terminates in the form of a depending stop-fiange 30. The hanged edge 30 of the narrow portion of the bed-extension terminates short of the plane of the pusher bars 241 on the upwardly moving portion of the chains 16 to enable said bars the clear the same; and the endmost roller 7 of the gravity conveyer A is adapted to be adjusted in the manner hereinbefore described to enable said roller to clear the upwardly moving pusher bars.

With the arrangement described. packages travel along the gravity coni/'eyei- A and upon reaching the discharge end thereof are engaged by the stop-fiange 30 which prevents further travel thereof. The stop 30 engages the lower edges of the front walls of a package and holds said package stationary with its front end portion overhanging the path of the rising pusher bars. The under side of the package is then engaged by one of the upwardly,7 moving pusher bars which lifts the front corner of the package over the stop upon the rotating feed rollers. This pusher bar then moves out from under the package which is then fed forward on the extension of the horizontal portion of the elevator bed, by the rotating feed rollers. During the lifting of the package over the top and the feeding of said package upon the extension of the bed, another package will have been engaged by the stop and the succeeding' pusher bar will lift this package clear of said stop and upon the feed rollers and will pass from under said package and will engage the rear end of the first mentioned package and propel the same along the inclined portion of the way to the discharge end of the elevator. renders certain the engagement of the rear ends of the packages by the pusher bars, during the movement of said pusher along the inclined portion of the bed, and will also permit handling of the packages of different sizes and shapes. This arrangement also eliminates the necessity for timing the arrival of the packages at the receiving end of the elevator; it also eliminates the neces- This arrangement i sity for placing the packages on the gravity conveyer in spaced relation or at regularv the sprocket shaft 18, which arrangement permits said extension to move with said shaft when the same is adjusted to take up slack in the sprocket chains. Thus a uniform space is maintained between the stop flange and the. rising pusher bars, regardless of adjustment of said shaft. Uniform space between the endmost roller 7 of the gravity conveyer and the rising pusher bars may also be maintained by adjusting said roller towards or away from the said pusher bars.

It is noted that the use` of the stop device will not interfere with the use of the elevatoi` for loweringpackages instead of elevating them.

The invention is not restricted to the precise forms and arrangements shown in the drawings.

What I claim is:

l. In a conveyer comprising a package way and spaced traveling devices for propelling packages along the same, a feeding device operatively connected with said traveling devices and projecting above said way, said devices passing above and below said way and upwardly around the receiving end of said way and said feeding device, the receiving end of said way having a stop rigid therewith and located inside of the path of the traveling devices, and means for feeding a package against said stop, whereby said package will be engaged by an up- -wardly moving traveling device and lifted clear of said stop and deposited upon said feeding device which feeds said package upon said bed in a position to be engaged at its rear end by a succeeding traveling device.

2. In a conveyer comprising a package way and spaced traveling devices for propelling packages along thesame, a rotating feeding device projecting above said way, said traveling devices passing continuously above and below said way and upwardly around the receiving end of said way and said feeding device, means for feeding a package to the receiving end of said conveyer, and fixed means located at the receiving end of said way for stopping said package with its front end portion overhanging the path of the upwardly moving traveling devices, whereby theA front end portion of said package will be engaged on its under` side by an upwardly moving traveling device and lifted over said fixed stop upon said feeding device which moves said package upon said bed in a position to be engaged at its rear end by a succeeding ,travelingl device.

3. In a conveyer comprisingl a package way and spaced traveling devices for propelling packages along said away, a rotary feeding device operatively projecting above said way, said traveling devices passing continuously above and below said bed'and upwardly around the end of said way and said feeding device,means for feedinga package to the receiving end of said bed in a plane disposed below the plane of said bed, whereby said end constitutes a stop that holds said package with its front end portion in the path of the upwardly moving traveling devices and said vportion of said package will be engaged on its'under side by a Vrising traveling device and lifted over said end yfof said way upon said feedingvdevice which moves-said package upon said bed in a position to be engaged at its rear end by a succeeding traveling device.

4. In a conveyer having a package way comprising a. horizontal receiving .portion y and a portion inclined upwardly therefrom. traveling devices for propelling packages along said way, a feeding device loca-ted'iadjacent to the end of said waysaid feeding4 device being operatively connected with said traveling devices 'and projecting above the plane of the horizontal portion o'f'said way, said traveling devices passing continuously above and below said way and said feeding device and upwardly around the end of the receiving portion of said way and said feeding device, means for feeding a package toy the end ofthe receiving portion of said way in a plane located below the plane off said receiving portion, whereby said end of said receiving portion constitutes a'stop adapted to hold said package with its forward end kportion in the plane', of the traveling devices and said portion of said box will be engaged on its under side by a rising traveling device and lifted over said end of said way onto said feeding device which moves said package upon said bed in a position to be engaged at its rear end by a succeeding traveling device.

5. In a conveyer comprising a package way, a transverse shaft disposed belowsaid way` adjacent to theV receiving end thereof, sprocket wheelsiXed to said shaft on opposite sides ofv said way,feed rolls fixed to said shaft between said sprocket wheels and extending above said way, chains passing `over said sprocket wheels, propelling'devicescarried by said chains, said devices being adapted to pass above and below said way and upwardly around the receiving end of said way and said feed rolls, and means for feeding the packages to the receiving end ofsaid way in a plane located below the plane thereof, whereby the end of said receiving portion constitutes a stop for holding said package, with its front end portion in the plane of the rising propelling devices and said front end portion of said package will be engaged on its under side by a rising propelling element and lifted over the said endof said way upon said feed rolls which move said package upon said way in a position to be engaged at its rear end by a succeeding vpropelling device.

6. In a conveyer comprising a package way, a transverse shaft disposed below said way adjacent to the receiving end thereof, sprocket wheels fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said bed, feed rolls fixed to said shaft between said sprocket wheels and extending above said way, chains passing over said sprocket wheels, propelling` devices carried by said chains, said devices being adapted to pass above and below said way and upwardly around the receiving end of said way and said feed rolls, the receiving end of said way having a stop located inside of the plane of the upwardly n'ioving` propelling devices, and means for feeding a package against said stop, whereby the front end portion of said package will be engaged on its under side by an upwardly. moving propelling device and lifted clear of said stop and positioned upon said feed rolls which feed said package upon said bed in a position to be engaged at its rear end by a succeeding' propelling device,

7. In a conveyer comprising a package way, a transverse shaft located below said way adjacent to the receiving end thereof` sprocket wheels fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said way, chains passing over said sprocket wheels, package propelling devices disposed crosswise of said way and connected to the chains on opposite sides thereof, whereby said devices are adapted to pass above and below said way and upwardly around the receiving end thereof, the receiving end of said way being of reduced width, feed rolls fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said reduced portion, said reduced portion having a portion disposed beyon'd the peripheral surfaces of said feed rolls and constituting a stop, and means for feeding a package against said stop, waereby the front end portion of said packages will be engaged by an upwardly moving propelling device and lifted clear of said stop portion and deposited upon said feed rolls which feed said package upon said bed in a position to be engaged at its rear end by a succeeding propelling device.

8. In a conveyer comprising a package way, a transverse shaft located below said way adjacent to the receiving end thereof, sprocket wheels fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said way, chains passing over said sprockets, package propelling devices carried by said chains and extending crosswise of said way and adapted to pass above and below the same and upwardly around the receiving end thereof, the receiving end of said way being of reduced width, feed rolls fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said reduced portion, said reduced portion terminating at a point beyond the peripheral surface of said feed rolls, and means for feeding a package to said reduced portion in a plane disposed below the plane thereof, whereby the end of said reduced portion constitutes a stop for said package and holds said package with its forward end portion in position to be engagedon its under side by an upwardly moving propelling device and lifted clear of the end of said reduced portion and deposited upon said feed rolls which feed said packages upon said way in a position to be engaged by a siicceeding propelling device.

9. ln a conveyer comprising a package way, a transverse shaft located below said way adjacent to the receiving end thereof, sprocket wheels fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said way, chains passing over said sprocket wheels, package propelling devices disposed crosswise of said way and connected to the chains on opposite sides thereof, whereby said devices are adapted to pass above and below said way and upwardly around the receiving end of said way, the receivingend of said way having a centrally disposed portieri of reduced width, feed rolls fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said reduced portion, said reduced portion having a portion disposed beyond the peripheral surfaces of said feed rolls and constituting a stop, and means for feeding a package against said stop, whereby the front end portion of said packages will be engaged by an upwardly moving propelling device and lifted clear of said stop portion and deposited upon said l,feed rolls which feed said package upon said bed in a position to be engaged at its rear end by a succeeding propellingl device` said feeding means comprising a gravity conveyer having spaced rollers, the end 'most roller be'- ing adjustable towards and away from the plane of the upwardly moving propelling devices.

l0. In a conveyer comprising a package way, a transverse shaft located below said way adjacent to the receiving end thereof, sprocket wheels fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said way, chains passing over said sprockets,` package propelling devices carried by said cha-in and extending crosswise of said way and adapted to pass above and below the saine and upwardly around the receiving end thereof, the receiving end of said way being of reduced width, feed rolls fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of lflll Vrd Vwhich feed said reduced portion, said reduced portion terminating at a point beyond the peripheral surface of said feed rolls, and means for feeding a package to said -reduced portion in a planedisposedbelow the plane thereof,

whereby the end 'of said reduced portion constitutes a stop foi' said package and holds said package with its forward end portion in pos-ition to be engaged on its under side y an upwardly moving propelling device and lifted clear of the end of said reduced portion and deposited upon said feed rolls said packages upon said way in a position to be engaged by a succeedingv propelling device, `said feeding means coinprising a gravity conveyer having spaced rollers, the endmost roller being adjustable towards and away from the plane of the upwardly moving propelling devices.

ll. In a conveyer comprising a package way having a separate extension at one end thereof, a transverse shaft located below said extension, .sprocket wheels fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said extension, chains passing over said sprockets, package propelling devices extending transversely of said way and connecting the chains with each other, said propelling devices being adapted to pass above and below said way and upwardly around the outer end of said extension, and means for adjusting said shaft longitudinally of said way, said extension being connected with said shaft whereby a uniform clearance is maintained between the end of said extension and the plane of the upwardly moving propelling devices regardless of adjustment of said shaft.

12. In a conveyer comprising a package way having a separate extension at one end thereof, a transverse shaft located below said extension, sprocket wheels iXed to said shaft on opposite sides of said extension, chains passing over said sprockets, package propelling` devices extending transversely of said way and connecting' the chains with each other, said propelling devices being adapted to pass above and below said way and upwardly around the outer end of said extension, and means for adjusting said shaft longitudinally of said way, said eX- tension being' connected at its outer end with said shaft and having a slidable connection with said way at its inner end, whereby said extension is adapted to move with said shaft during the adjustment of the same thereby maintaining a uniform clearance between the end of said extension and the plane of the upwardly moving propelling devices.

In a conveyer comprising a package way having a separate extension at one end thereof, a'transverse shaft located below said extension, sprocket wheels fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said extension,

chains passing over said sprockets, package propelling devices vextending ltransversely of said way'and connecting the chains with each other, said. propelling devicesbeing adaptedto pass above and below saidway andvupwardlyl around the outer end of saidi adjusting said shaft upwardlyk moving propelling devices rev gardless of adjustment of said shaft, and` a gravity conveyer leading to the end of said extension, said gravity conveyer comprising rotatably supported rollers the endmost one of which is adjustable towards and away from the plane of the upwardly moving propelling devices, whereby a uniform clearance may be maintained between-said roller and said plane of said rising propelling devices. n

14. In a conveyer comprising a way, a transverse shaft located beyond the receiving end of said way, means for adjusting said shaft longitudinally of said way, an extension lapping said end of said way and having a portion of reduced width project-v ing across said shaft and connected thereto, feed rollers fixed to said shaft on opposite sides of said reduced portion, sprocket wheels iXed to said shaft on opposite sides of said way, chains passing over said sprockets, propelling devicesA extending transversely of said way and connecting said chains with each other, said propelling devices being adapted to pass above and below said way and upwardly'around the outer edge of said extension and said feed rolls, and means for feeding a package to said extension in a plane ldisposed below the plane thereof, whereby the end of the reduced portion of said extension constitutes a stop for holding the front end portion of said package in the plane of the propelling devices on the upwardly 'moving portions of said chains.v l

l5. In a conveyer comprising a way, a transverse shaft located beyond the receiving end of said way, means for adjusting said shaft longitudinally of said way, an eX- tension lapping said endof said way and having a portion of reduced width project- 1 ets, propelling devices extending trans-v versely of saidl way and connectingv said chains with each other,said propelling devices being adaptedvto pass above'` and below said way and upwardly around the outer edge of said extension and said yfeed rolls, and means for feeding a package to said eX- tension in a plane disposed below the plane thereof, whereby the end of the reduced portion of said extension constitutes a stop Jfor holding the front end portion of said package in the plane of the propelling devices on the upwardly moving portions or' said chains, said feeding` means comprising a gravity conveyer having a bed of rotatably supported rollers, the endrnost roller being adjustable towards and away from the plane of the propelling devices on the upwardly moving portions of said chains.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 8th' day of July, 1921.

AUGUST J. REBSTOCK. 

